Gambling involves the wagering of something of value on an event that has a random outcome in exchange for a prize. It is often associated with negative consequences, such as addiction and financial ruin. However, it can also have positive aspects. There are many benefits to gambling, including socialising, mental developments and skill improvement. The most important thing to remember is that gambling should be done in moderation.
When people gamble, they are often not aware of the social and psychological impacts. For instance, the social impact of gambling can include problems that may arise within the family, such as arguments and financial difficulties. In addition, people can experience stress and depression as a result of gambling. However, there are ways to avoid these negative effects. The first step is to seek professional help. There are many resources available, including marriage, career and credit counseling, that can help a person overcome a gambling problem.
In a public health approach, the negative and positive impacts of gambling are assessed across the severity spectrum of gambling. This includes both problematic and nonproblematic gambling, as harms can occur even among those classified as nonproblematic [41]. Moreover, studies that focus only on pathological gambling are biased and underestimate the economic costs of gambling for society.
In the past, most costing studies of gambling have ignored social impacts, focusing solely on monetary cost and benefit. Social impacts are defined as costs or benefits that aggregate societal real wealth, i.e., they cause harm to some and benefit others. These costs or benefits are generally invisible at personal, interpersonal and society/community levels and include indirect costs/benefits such as the cost of problem gambling for significant others, general external costs and long-term costs.